bepsf says:

One thing that's rarely mentioned about flaoting/laminate floors is that hollow-sounding "click" when you walk on it - It sounds so cheap to me.

Denise Vilim says:

Thanks Paul! I'm printing this out to take with on my laminate flooring shopping trip!

@bepsf - I certainly concur in regards to my current QuickStep laminate floors (they were on the cheap end of cheap when we purchased them), but do all laminate floors, even ones that are higher end and/or have good, think padding (underlayment), make that sound when walked on? Thanks!

Denise Vilim says:

Also, another quick question for anyone who'd like to answer...

Other than being unrefinishable (surely that's a real word), prone to irreparable surface chips and dings (which in my experience are rare and small when they do happen) and sound quality (as mentioned above), are there additional advantages to going with engineered over laminate floors?

Thanks!

Gregory Haynes says:

Advantages besides cost? Yeah, right ;) In all of the spaces shown above, it would seem strange to have such nice finishes all around only to walk on a floating laminate floor. I mean, really, who buys a bacelona chair and puts it on laminate flooring? Such a sin.

bepsf says:

@Archipeep: That's not a Barcelona Chair - It's a cheap knockoff
;-)

bepsf says:

@aprilaries --

I've never inquired about pricing because I've never asked folks what they paid for their floors or what's underneath them - but anytime I walk into a house that has a "wood" floor I can hear whether it's a floating laminate floor or a nailed-down wood floor.

ariadne says:

Some of the comments about laminate flooring just sound snobby to me. I hope people don't feel the need to put themselves in unnecessary debt because the difference is 'obvious' because it isn't to the average person when the quality of work is worthy.

Personally, I prefer some laminate flooring such as the faux slate/ tiled floors. I like the look of tiles but I hate grout, and like the princess and the pea, I feel even the slightest uneveness when tiles have not been laid perfectly flat. My toes find every edge to stub on. Moreover, I like the ease of caring for laminate, especially with kids. And, maybe I'm a philistine but quite frankly, I rather like the smooth even finish of the laminate floors and the price means I can change the flooring with minimal guilt if I redecorate.

I've not noticed the noise difference but then I don't really use heels indoors and the people I know with real wood floors would glare my head off if I wore shoes on their highly polished floors.

Maybe I'm partly biased because I broke several toes on my aunt's highly polished real wood floors while trying desperately not to scuff them with my suitcase. *shrug*

Paul Anater says:

Aprilaries: The differences between the two are pretty profound but the biggest difference is in how long each surface will last. That and cost.

Ariadne: Thanks for your comment. I was getting ready to come in and defend the people who use laminate floors. I used well-designed rooms paired with laminate floors in a variety of styles for a reason. Namely, that a low budget shouldn't consign anybody to living in an ugly home. Besides, laminate flooring is a completely legitimate flooring category that a lot of people use. In some parts of the world, like Northern Europe, it's the default flooring material. People shouldn't feel bad for not spending a lot of money on their floors. What matters is that what ever they buy is a value proposition for them.

The market's full of inferior laminate floors and I hope this idea book will give people who buy laminate floors solid information they'll need to make a smart purchase.

designsc says:

I am currently working on a commercial project and we are using laminate flooring. We are replacing heart of pine flooring that is very damaged by high heels. With the laminate you get the look of hardwoods but can withstand a lot of use. They come with a 15 yr. commerical warranty. I will post pictures when installed. You might be surprised!

geoffdog says:

The pictures are beautiful and yes the rooms seem too beautiful for laminate.
Oh those ad agencies and their product photo shoots. Making it look better than it really is. Who would do such a thing?

Paul Anater says:

There's no shame in a low budget. If the last couple of years have taught me anything, that's it.

woofwoof says:

We've have Quik-Step dark walnut laminate planks in our kitchen/den and two of our bedrooms. Our house is slab on grade. At first blush, it looks like wood and the planks have a bit of texture and mild color variation. Looks nice with my oriental rugs. It's a little slippery in socks but that's about it. I don't mop or sweep enough, so it shows smudges and foot marks, but that's my fault. Overall, it's fine. But.....we're renovating a different house in the same area and for that we are doing engineered wood. For resale, it's better, people are turned off by laminate. But honestly, if you've got little kids, big dogs, and you're not planning on selling any time soon, there is nothing wrong with laminate.

kt2le says:

10 to 12 years ago, we installed one of the early laminate floors (WilsonArt brand) in our kitchen and breakfast room. We were afraid real (or engineered) wood would get damaged, since they were high traffic areas, so we opted for the wood "look." Although is was pretty, we hated it the minute it was down. Walking on it made a clacking noise and it sounded like we were walking on hollow plastic, which I guess we were. Although it wasn't inexpensive, we had it torn up and replaced with engineered wood, which sounded much better. Our initial concerns became true, however, since it became scuffed and dented from kids, the dog and primary traffic in and out of the garage. We've been looking at laminated floors again as a possible replacement for these areas and, possibly, currently carpeted rooms and I've been impressed with the thickness, backing and more realistic/distressed finishes available now that weren't back then. What's holding us back is seeing (and walking on) a large installation so we can hear what it sounds like. I've, also, been told by a realtor that laminate would ruin our resale value (for homes the value of ours) and we'd be better off putting engineered wood into our slab on grade home. I don't know but we've been impressed with some of the newer offerings.

Paul Anater says:

WoofWoof: Thanks for your comment. That's a great point about big dogs and little kids.

kt21e: You make good points too, using it in homes of certain value can harm your resale value but as these products have improved some of the stigma attached to them has lessened. It's still a valid concern if you're planning to sell any time soon. Seeing a new laminate floor like this installed is just a matter of going to a flooring store and asking them if they have a recent laminate customer who'd be willing to talk to you. You might get shot down but then again, it just might work.

Gregory Haynes says:

@bepsf Yes, the black one is definitely fake, but the white one looks right.

@ariadne and @paul_anater I was not trying to be snobby nor make fun of your post Paul. Did not mean to offend if I did. I was merely questioning that if you're going to spend $20k on furnishings, why would you use a $500 floor? For example, my little sister and her husband spent $15k turning their upstairs bedroom in their $500k house into a 'pub'. But they skimped on the flooring and when you go from the downstairs - which is hardwood - to the upstairs, its absolutely noticable. As for your arguments for laminate flooring, I think they're legitimate. However, I'm not convinced that faux anything is the way to go. Faux wood, faux tile, etc. I'd be interested in seeing the laminate flooring industry come out with flooring that isn't trying to be something that it isn't.

lynnrww says:

Very interesting article, photos and discussion. I am re-doing the entire downstairs of my two-story home, in a major metro area, and have decided on engineered wood. I notice there's a huge amount of negativity against wood laminate floors -- unfortunately. I can not always tell the difference, in how they look. But everyone seems to turn their nose up at laminate. I really don't get it.

However, if they make a loud, clacking noise -- well, that is a huge and definite turn-off.

Still, if my wood floor gets all scuffed and dented -- i sure won't be happy with that either.

No kids....grown up now....and only a tiny dog, who seems to NOT have accidents.

If I had little kids, after reading this excellent article and all the fine comments.....I would NOT get a wood floor.

Also, everyone seems totally turned against carpet nowadays. When I was little, EVERYONE wanted "wall-to-wall carpet". That was considered true luxury.. Now, carpet almost seems to be a dirty word.

Odd.

patscats2 says:

Snobby is an understatement. A lot of people, me included, have laminate because of the functionality of the flooring. That doesn't make me a bad home owner or decorator and I can tell you any piece of furniture can sit on my floor and look beautiful. I have the Bruce Park Avenue Makore. Only regret is that I didn't get it in a lighter color because it shows every little piece of fur, but is durabler as concrete. My 65 lb. dog slides all around these floors and doesn't leave a mark. What I do hate is the ceramic tile I have in the wet areas. The grout, even though it is sealed is just too hard to keep up.
These photo's were taken when the house was in the bulding stage. I really do need to get some updated photo's.

patscats2 says:

One more thing, we have the thickest padding that is sold for this flooring and there is no clicking sound. Sounds like you're walking on wood.

ay121212 says:

Photos of your floor look beautiful patscats2

kizr12 says:

Daughter opted to go with a floating laminate floors to protect her 60-year-old oak floors from damage from her dogs' nails, and hold open the option of someday repairing and refinishing the original floors. Seemed like an excellent compromise to me, one that will work well for twenty-somethings who throw a lot of parties and invite everyone to bring their dogs. Boyfriend did the comparison shopping and decided that a product offered by Sam's Club would be the best combination of price, appearance, construction and ease of installation.

jeg700 700 says:

I am all for laminate flooring, but I cannot stress this point enough; DO NOT get the cheap laminate. It is the cheap laminate that makes that horrible clacking sound when wearing shoes, and it is pretty difficult to work with too! After all is said and done, the cheap buy @ $.69 for 7 or 8 mm thickness is not worth the savings. We used the it in the bedrooms and instantly regretted our choice. But the living areas have 12 mm thickness and those floors have held up very well, with very few people able to tell that those floors are not wood, since they also have the bevelled edges as well as the thick underlay. Also, they come with 25 year warranty. Of course, we did pay a lot more, $5.50 a sq. ft. so, like everything else, you get what you pay for.

barevalos says:

I have lam and love it. It does not make a claking noise we went with the "Floor Muffler" underlayment and it sounds just like wood floors. Don't go cheap and you shouldn't have a problem.

Libby Wilkie at aneyefordetail says:

Thanks for all this discussion! We moved last December where main floor was/is "parquet" over cement slab. We got estimates for laminate, both for living room and for kitchen. Well, even that was too expensive for us. Kitchen alone was going to be close to 3K, I think. So, no, the laminate option is certainly not, in my opinion, a cheap one!
We're still living with the parquet, and actually it's not so bad. Someday, yes, top of the line laminate will be installed.

Brian Frailey says:

I think that the offerings inside of the engineered wood market have become so plentiful that it makes the choice easier than ever before. Wood wins hands down. I will say though that f I have a room that will transition periodically (Living room/ Game room/ office) going with a floor that can be easily changed makes more sense. I sell a lot of both types floors. People who are buying wood are purchasing for the investment and longevity. Anyone with questions feel free to call me. I am local to Dallas Fort Worth but, I will answer any questions no matter where you are. 817.632.7206

milichka says:

Laminate floors begin to look bad pretty quickly (within 5 yrs, max life 10 yrs). I think investing in engineered flooring would be far more beneficial, especially for homeowners that intend to stick around. Plus, since engineered is closer to being a natural product its production and waste is nicer to our planet. Nothing beats solid wood, but for the cost-conscious, engineered is the better way to go. And anyway, I've seen quality solid wood that goes for $4/SF. And yes, I know it's quality.

Rula says:

I would take laminate flooring over wall-to-wall carpeting any day. Also I don't see anyone here considering that laminate is a much more environmentally-friendly option than real wood floors!! Just like faux animal furs and prints are an option furnishings, laminate is a legit option for your flooring.

Paul Anater says:

There is no single, superior flooring option for all situations. All materials have pluses and minuses. My goal in this series is to present the pros and cons of a host of the materials out there in an unbiased way so that people who are looking to buy flooring can use this as a resource and figure out which option is the best for their needs and their budget. What works for somebody won't necessarily work for someone else.

colorfast says:

We bought a wood laminate for our kitchen remodel. We bought custom-made wood cabinets with a cabinet maker (ie not mdf/pressboard, etc) and decent (not spec home) granite. Seriously thought about tile, maybe slate, because it is so bullet proof, but our kids go barefoot a lot. I didn't want stubbed toes. We acknowledge real wood looks better, but our better laminate has fooled people who walked in the door.

Why put in an inexpensive wood floor when other elements of your remodel are higher end? It's a valid question. In the end, the budget has to give somewhere. We hope the floor lasts 8-10 years, but is more easily replaced than the other elements of our kitchen. We do have kids and a dog. In 10 years, they are older and we are in a different place in life.

Jeremy Parcels says:

We have installed and removed many Laminate floors over the years, and they are a viable flooring option not to be ignored. The printing technology used on Laminates has improved drastically over the last five years to the high definition quality we see today giving you the beautiful finished products Paul has shown above. While it may not be the perfect flooring for every home or every location it’s affordability, ease of installation, and numerous available patterns make it a great option. Regarding the sound of laminate floors the clicking sound has more to do with its construction and floating installation method. We have used several underlayments and while they can help reduce the “laminate sound” it will not be eliminated. Because it is made of HDF and the fact that the entire floor is “clicked” together the sound reverberates through the floor. Laminate is meant to be a flooring option not to replace wood or tile. Flooring options are a plenty, choose the one that best fits your needs and budget and do your homework before you buy.

Paul Anater says:

Colorfast and Jeremy, thanks for joining in.

taddpeake says:

I've put a Dupont vinyl flooring in my kitchen and both bathrooms. I think it's a lot prettier (warmer, softer to step) than laminate, but the real bonuses are durability (looks like new after years of wear; has a 25 year warranty) and the biggie: it's waterproof. Home Depot sells the line as TrafficMaster. Very affordable.

Paul Anater says:

Taddpeake: Stay tuned, next week's topic is sheet goods, also known as resilient flooring.

rgillenwater says:

Thanks so much Paul for an informative Ideabook. I also appreciate those of you who have posted about your actual direct experiences and the facts to back them up, whether positive or negative.

I agree with colorfast's post that if your budget has to give somewhere, laminate flooring is the thing to go with since it could possibly be the easiest element to replace down the road when your budget allows. Very insightful.

patscats2 says:

ay121212, thanks for the compliment.

I know one thing, I would take sheet vinyl over my miserable tile grout any day. In our other house we had high end peel and stick vinyl and I love it for cleaning and durability. It lasted 15 years. I hate the ceramic with the grout lines. Ugh!!

Pamela Rodriguez says:

I've been considering engineered wood for our home remodel for awhile and never gave a second thought to laminate and solid wood is not an option for our one-story, slab-on-grade home. Now I might just be changing my mind. I really like the improved look of the laminate. I don't have little kids or dogs and am not really concerned about re-sale investment as I plan to leave my home feet first. Anyway, I'm replacing wall-to-wall cheap carpet so this could only be an improvement. The difference in the price might just make me get over the fact that it isn't "real wood" that would always be in the back of my mind. I might even be convinced to use laminate instead of ceramic tile (that's supposed to look like stone too) in the kitchen and breakfast room that I'm planning to put radient floor heating in. (Didn't know I could do that with laminate flooring!) The idea of the cushioning underfoot is apealing as well as less broken dishes that are always a gonner if dropped on our tile floors. And no grout to clean? Well that's a no brainer!

Thanks again Paul for another informative post.

saphirebear says:

Thanks for the great article and all the thoughtful comments. I just bought a house that I'm planning to remodel in Central Austin. Some of the laminate that's down now looks like it has worn well, but does have a hollow, clacking, echo to it. It also makes everything very, very loud. Part of the floor was replaced in the kitchen and family room with a different color and type of laminate. (They left the extra boxes behind, so I know that's the new one.) I'm guessing it's because the first installation didn't hold up well and they needed something that looked better for the resale. The new laminate is not wearing at all well, and shows scratches already.

I've owned a house before that had nailed oak floors (built in 1948), and my feeling is that even though those floors badly needed refinishing when I sold it in 1999, those 50+ year old floors still had a nicer, warmer feeling than the laminate in the house I just bought.

I'm planning on staying in this new house indefinitely and it's in an area where the RE values are skyrocketing, so I think it's a situation where very high quality flooring is called for. So I'm planning on installing wood throughout the house. (Not sure about the kitchen.) I'm interested in whether anyone has comments on what type of wood floor (solid, engineered, etc) would hold up the best. The floors are all concrete slab and I have two kids and (according to them) potentially a dog in my future. I'm thinking engineered Brazilian Cherry. Any other suggestions?

Paul Anater says:

If you're on a slab you have to go with engineered floors if you're looking for wood. Just be sure you buy a plank that can be refinished a couple of times. Brazilian Cherry is as hard as a rock and when it's in an engineered plank even more so. Beware bargains and know what you're buying, stick to reputable dealers and you'll be fine.

venicebeach says:

I have cheap laminate floors and they were in the house when I bought it. I would love to replace them with engineered wood floors. Besides the constant clacking noise when anyone walks around, including the dogs, they are extremely slippery in wet. Dangerously so. Additionally, if any kind of hair product gets on them accidently, it also gets very slippery. I can't say how many times I have almost fallen. Maybe the more expensive ones aren't like this.

Michele P says:

We have Brazilian teak BR 111 Engineered wood floor in our kitchen and it scratches & dents too often. The dents are mostly from me dropping stuff on the floor. It looks great when clean, but I wouldn't install it again. It hurts too badly when it dents.

Helen Long says:

I had laminate floors for 10 years with children and a boxer that use to slide down the hallway all the time when she was being chased! There was never any damage to the floor and we had them in 4 bedrooms the living and dining room and hallway. It was the Pergo cherry wood and was absolutely gorgeous!

James Brooks says:

I went to the flooring store with the intent of spending $5 to $7psf. After several weeks of testing engineered wood floor samples for durability I found that most of the expensive ones didn't hold up to normal wear. Even though they advertise that some can be refinished, I thought that through found it improbable. I didn't want to go through the extra labor and mess of nail down and glue down is out for me. (bad experience)
Then I found this German laminate that fooled me. It looks real in person because of the registration of texture and print. I tried to destroy the sample for two weeks, even left it in a bowl of water. It could not me damaged under normal wear. I installed them myself with great ease and LOVE them. So go on and be snobby about engineered vs. true nail down and make fun of laminate. I'm sold! Did I mention they only cost $2 psf? Use a good underlayment.

lizetthomas says:

James, any chance you could share a link to the German laminate that you are talking about? Thanks!!!

chakag says:

After reading these comments, I had to go check my floors. I have an old real oak floor in my dining room (old country farmhouse), and a laminate tile-look floor in my kitchen. I honestly could not tell the difference in noise in the two floors. The laminate is slick with socks on but so is the wood floor. We are building a new home and are trying to decide what kind of flooring to install so all your comments are helpful!

Judy says:

This article is very timely for me, just trying to decide what to do about my floors. I just moved into this house and certainly don't love any of the flooring. The two bedrooms and living room are carpeted (not very nice carpet either) and the rest of the house is tiled. I don't like the tile either – a yellowish beige. However, I figured I would have to learn to live with them, at least for a while. Then I discovered what I hated the most: the kitchen! So much so, I just can't live with it, will have to get a new one. Had some people out to give me quotes and they all tell me the same thing. Not much improvement can be made to the kitchen (which is “open plan”, together with the family room) if I want to keep the same “footprint”. They all tell me the tiles will need to be replaced, so that the island bench can be moved and a walk-in pantry can be designed. If I have to replace the tiles, then I would have to replace ALL the tiles (except the bathroom) as the entry hall, the laundry all flow into each other. So, that got me thinking that if I'm going to do that, then it would be a good time to get rid of the carpet as well. Problem being two things. First thing is budget. The kitchen is already an expense I wasn't counting on, and now the floor...
I must say I have always been one of those “snobs” never even considered engineered wood, let alone laminate. However, I do know that to get “real” timber floors, I would have to move out and take all the furniture with me, so that is out of the question. Also, as much as I love timber, I don't like it in wet areas and that, to me, includes a kitchen. To replace the tiles with new tiles, would (I think) involve having to remove the existing tiles, which would probably cost a fortune also. I do like tiles, but certainly don't like cleaning the grout. :-) So, I think I am left with floating floors, but am still a bit worried about the clicking sound.
Has anyone got any advice for me? This house is also on a concrete slab. I don't have any kids, but a dog is in my future. I am in Australia, BTW. Also, would the fact that some of the floor would need to go over the tiles, whereas the rest would replace the carpet present more problems? Could the height of the floor be adjusted somehow, so that all the floor ends up the same height?

@Paul Anater I have to say that you CAN get wood on a concrete slab. I used to live in an apartment with a concrete slab and was thinking of renovating it (ended up moving out instead) and had some quotes for solid -strip-timber. It was 12mm thick from memory, certainly wasn't cheap. Here is a link to a place I got a quote from You need to navigate to “view our gallery/solid timber”. It basically says: “Solid Strip Timber can be glued directly to concrete, ply or particle board flooring. It can also be fixed to joist or hardwood battens. Advice on the correct installation procedure can be gained from experienced staff at our showroom, or from our experienced layers. Solid Strip Timber can be supplied in 19mm thickness for structural purposes and 12-14mm overlay, used for direct sticking to a sub-floor. Widths of the boards can be as varied as 80mm - 210mm. Most species can be supplied as a natural or pre-finished product."

@Jeremy Parcels. Don't all floating floors (including engineered timber) make a “clicking” sound?

@obsessive I am curious, aren't the bevelled edges hard to keep clean? I once spoke to a women who complained about her bevelled edges, saying that they were impossible to keep clean, have to regularly scrub them with a toothbrush. I remember making a mental note to make sure I never get those. :-)

@James Brooks Yes please James, I would love to know the name of the floor too.

@designsc I would love to see your photos

dmeade22 says:

We installed Pergo in our kitchen 12 years ago. It still looks great, even after two generations of dogs. There are about 3 very small nicks in it. I don't see the need to stress over the finish of a real wood floor when laminate is cheaper and more durable. I'm planning on going with laminate again. There are so many choices now. The ones with defined seams look good, but dirt might collect in the indentations. Anyone have experience with that?

pollywolly says:

After reading some of the comments about laminate floors I felt I had to add my two cents worth. We installed German manufactured laminate floors through the living room and dinning area about 6 years ago. Today they still look as good as the day they were laid, which includes having a large dog running around on them. As to the clicking sound so many refer to, we installed a good quality underlay not the thin styrofoam kind it was like recycled fabric, anyway it not only made the difference in the sound it made it warmer. I am now looking to do some other floors in the house, with some real wood being available at comparative pricing to laminate I still intend to go laminate. Laminate is easy to lay, no special equipment needed, affordable and when we want to change its easy to take up.
Ultimately the decision is the home owners and what suits the application, but laminate floors don't need to be noisy or cheap looking.

James Brooks says:

In reply to Lizetthomas and Judy. The German Laminate I used was called Sensa from Floor and Decor Outlet. The color was calypso oak. Sorry to be so late in my response. http://www.sensa-flooring.com/

pollywolly says:

In reply to demeade22, my laminate has the grooves making it look like real planks but I don't have a problem with dirt collecting in them. I use a dry mop to pick up the dust (and dog hairs) and then a wet wipe to remove the dogs paw marks, with the occasional vacuum to get those areas left from the mop, it looks great.